I'm Still Here
by Dark-Angel302
Summary: Songfic: I'm still here -The Goo-Goo Dolls; Malik is going to Domino High, but Yugi and Co still haven't really forgiven him for Battle City, and he's living by himself, he's alone. But when Marik reappears, will Malik finally find someone who understands
1. Chapter 1

I have 5 chapters done so I will defiantly be updating, I just don't know when. Okay, this is not a yaoi, just to point that out. But it may become one if I change my mind.  
  
Alright, that said and done here are the disclaimers by my wonderful friend, Seto Kaiba!  
  
Seto: More like kidnapper . . .  
  
Angel: Just read the disclaimers!  
  
Seto: Darkangel302 doesn't own the song 'I'm still here' or Yu-gi-oh, or any of it's characters, including me THANK GOD!  
  
Angel: But if I could own Yu-Gi-Oh Seto would be mine! (Huggles Seto)  
  
Seto: God Help Me . . .  
  
Angel: Enjoy!   
  
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"I'm still here" by the Goo Goo Dolls  
  
I am a question to the world,  
Not an answer to be heard,  
or a moment that's held in your arms.  
And what do you think you'd ever say?  
I won't listen anyway:  
You ignore me,  
And I'll never be what you want me to be.  
  
And what do you think you'd understand?  
I'm a boy, no i'm a man.  
You can't take me and throw me away.  
And how can you learn what's never shown?  
Yeah, you stand here on your own.  
They don't know me 'cause I'm not here.  
  
And I want a moment to be real,  
Wanna touch things I don't feel,  
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.  
And how can the world want me to change,  
They're the ones that stay the same.  
They don't know me,  
'Cause I'm not here.  
  
And you see the things they never see  
All you wanted, I could be  
Now you know me, and I'm not afraid  
And I wanna tell you who I am  
Can you help me be a man?  
They can't break me  
As long as I know who I am  
  
And I want a moment to be real,  
Wanna touch things I don't feel,  
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.  
And how can the world want me to change,  
They're the ones that stay the same.  
They can't see me,  
But I'm still here.  
  
They can't tell me who to be,  
'Cause I'm not what they see.  
And the world is still sleepin',  
While I keep on dreamin' for me.  
And their words are just whispers,  
And lies that I'll never believe.  
  
And I want a moment to be real,  
Wanna touch things I don't feel,  
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.  
And how can they say i never change,  
They're the ones that stay the same.  
I'm the one now,  
'Cause I'm still here.  
  
I'm the one,  
'Cause I'm still here.  
I'm still here.  
I'm still here.  
I'm still here.

**I'm still here  
**  
Chapter 1  
  
**_/I am a question to the world  
  
Not an answer to be heard  
  
Or a moment that's held in your arms/  
_**  
Heavy, black, retro boots thudded across the pavement on a crisp fall morning. It was quite odd to be seeing someone such as Malik Ishtar in school uniform with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His normal sleeveless purple sweat-shirt and cargo pants were replaced with blue slacks and a white long-sleeved dress shirt, unbuttoned to about halfway down his chest, and the open blue jacket. He wore less jewelry than usual, his golden chokers were still wrapped around his neck, and his golden earrings were still in. But he really couldn't wear his bracelets of cuffs with the stupid uniform. Malik had questioned if he should rip off the sleeves of the uniform and just wear that to school, but thought against it as well, and for only one reason.  
  
Isis would kill him.  
  
Not that she would see, his sister was in Egypt for the next few months, and Odion would be joining her in a few days. Malik actually considered just going to school the days Odion was there, then quit when he left, no one would be able to tell him off unless they came home. Which they wouldn't.  
  
The lavender-eyed Egyptian sighed heavily, pushing a lock of platinum blonde hair out of his face. He didn't want to go to school, it had been Isis's idea to send Malik to school, he was only 16. Except for the fact that Malik was likely to get bored with school because he already knew everything he would learn in school. He started an evil group of possessed minions, and got the money to pay for everything, when he was only 15, so school should be a piece of cake.  
  
Another thing you might notice, Malik would usually be riding his motorcycle if he was going anywhere, not walking. Answer: simple. It was in the shop, duh! So he had to walk, Odion left early that morning to finish packing up the Egyptian Exhibit at the Domino Museum, so unless Malik wanted to get to school at 5:30, he could have caught a ride with Odion. But Malik liked his sleep much more than a ride to school.  
  
Besides, he needed to think.  
  
Yugi and his fan club probably still hated him for the Battle City thing, so school was defiantly going to be hell. Malik wasn't very good at making friends either, he could talk to Bakura, but he was in the shadow realm, and Ryou probably hated him too. Malik risked Ryou's neck in order to defeat Yami, so who wouldn't hate him for that.  
  
The colored leaves that blanketed the grass and side walk crunched beneath Malik's feat. Malik amused himself by trying not to destroy the leaves and just scuffle through the mess. Dragging his feat under the thick layer and kicking them up, it kept him going for a while until the layer of leaves seemed to thin and Malik soon found himself in front of Domino High School.  
  
Malik sighed heavily, this would be his prison for the next 8 hours.  
  
########################################################################  
  
It took a while for Malik to find everything, but the blonde Egyptian found himself sitting in the back corner of homeroom about 15 minutes before the bell rang. He didn't feel much like exploring that day. You would have expected Malik to either come in at the last minute, or late, or just plain skip homeroom. But he didn't feel like it today for some reason, he had a major head-ache, more like a migraine.  
  
"I should have taken something before I left home," he muttered to himself. Taking out a book from his back pack he began to read. This was an even odder sight, that is if you didn't live with Malik. No one knew how much Malik loved to read. That was what fed his curiosity when he was a kid of the outside world, if it wasn't on the pharaoh, or Egypt, he'd read it. Malik actually got hooked on Shakespeare, no one else in his family, not even Odion, could make sense of Shakespeare, but had a great obsession for the writings. Especially Hamlet, that was the first Shakespeare piece he ever read.  
  
He got about 5 pages in to 'Macbeth' when something interrupted him, something Malik would have preferred to avoid the entire school year.  
  
"Hell no," came a New-York accent. "No way in hell are you going to this school!" Malik looked up to see Joey and the rest of the 'gang' about 8 feet away from him, all staring at him. Malik just scowled.  
  
"I'm not exactly happy to be here either, mutt," Malik replied sharply. Joey shook with anger at his nick-name that had seemed to have spread around.  
  
"Aren't you like twenty-something?" Tristan asked, not out of curiosity either.  
  
"I'm 16 you idiot," Malik shot back. _'Twenty? How the hell did they get that?'  
_  
"Great!" Joey exclaimed, sarcasm and venom dripping from his words. "Not only do we have moneybags in our class, but also the mind-controlling psychopath."  
  
_'Didn't Yugi already explain this to them?'_ Malik thought to himself. He though he had asked Yugi to explain that wasn't really him during the Battle City finals. Malik shot a confused look towards Yugi, who just shrugged, indicating he had told them.  
  
**_[ Stubborn asshole,]_** Malik muttered in Arabic, then going back to his book.  
  
"Translation? I know that was something bad," Joey said, looking towards Yugi.  
  
"It's nothing worse than what's running through your mind about me right now," Malik muttered in English this time.  
  
"Stay out of my head!" Joey snapped.  
  
"Why would I want to enter your mind? It'd just be a waste of my time," Malik said, still not looking up from his book. "Besides, any idiot can tell that you hate me for something I didn't do-"  
  
"You sent people to the shadow realm you freak," Tristan spat.  
  
"Didn't we already go over this," Malik asked looking back up in Yugi's direction. Yugi nodded, but the bell rang so it went unnoticed.  
  
Malik shook his head, giving up on reading. Yep, school would be hell alright . . .  
  
########################################################################  
  
Malik hated school, more than he hated anything in his life. He would have gone back underground with a psychotic yami any day. The only good point was he got to catch up on his sleep, and would probably also do so during detention that afternoon. Malik had gotten in a fight during lunch, but strangely he was just defending himself.  
  
_'I bet this is all Joey and Tristan's fault!'_ He thought to himself. _'I'll bet my motorcycle that they spread those rumors about me being a complete nut-case!'  
_  
Oh yes, word had gotten around about what _really_ happened at Battle City. And it was a rumor, so it kept changing, now people were saying he pushed Tristan and Duke of the blimp and he killed Mai. Malik rolled his eyes, resting his head in his arms during math class.  
  
"Mr. Ishtar . . ."  
  
'_I'm gonna give those two a piece of mind,'_ Malik thought wickedly. _'But, they might have the whole school to back them up. sigh And I've got no one.'  
_  
"Mr. Ishtar!"  
  
_'Why does my life have to be so screwed up, no one can trust me anymore. And it's all Marik's fault! That damn bastard, if he wasn't in the Shadow Realm I would rip him apart with my bare hands-'_  
  
"MR. ISHTAR!!!"  
  
"Eleven!" Malik shouted, looking up at the teacher. Wait, scratch that, glaring at the teacher. "The answer is eleven, right?"  
  
"Y-yes, but how-"  
  
"I listen, alright!" Malik shot at her. "Just because I'm not looking at you doesn't mean I don't know what is going on." He then buried his face in his arms again, sighing deeply with frustration. That was actually a guess, but at least he got it right. And the damn teacher left him alone for the rest of the period.  
  
Next up, P.E.  
  
The school didn't have many extra gym clothes, so Malik had to wear a white T-shirt that was two sizes too small for him, fortunately, the shorts fit fine. Malik pulled the white T-shirt over his head, yanking it down as far as it would go. Okay, it was tight enough to show off some muscles, and a thin line of dark tanned skin bordered his waist line, but it was good enough.  
  
Someone tapped him on his shoulder, and Malik turned around to see the gym teacher. "Just need to tell you rules for this class," he said all too quickly, obviously the word he was crazy had gotten to the teachers too. "One: no jewelry, so lose the gold." Malik stuffed his neck-chocker and earrings in to his bag then stared at the teacher, arms crossed. "Two: school policy says no tattoos, so if the one's on your back are permanent, you'll need to talk to either the principle or counselor."  
  
Malik narrowed his eyes, how did he know this would come up. "Yes they're permanent, but they aren't tattoos." The gym teacher stared back at the blonde Egyptian with a confused look.  
  
"Then, would you mind telling me what they are?"  
  
"Yes, I do mind," Malik stated flatly. The gym teacher sighed.  
  
"Look, you have to tell me or I'll have to cut you out of the class."  
  
"Wouldn't bother me any," Malik muttered.  
  
"You would flunk the class," the gym teacher stated. The rang a bell, in translation that meant '_Isis when skin me alive.'_  
  
"They're scars," he said quickly. The teacher just stared blankly, completely speechless. _'What is so hard to understand, they're scars, scars, they're etched into my back, I can't get rid of them!'_ Malik thought angry. _'And if he doesn't stop starting at me I'm going to punch his lights out!'  
_  
"Can I go now?" Malik asked impatiently. The teacher nodded, still speechless, and Malik almost ran out of the locker room.  
  
########################################################################  
  
Malik stood on the track, thoughts flooding his mind, it was hard for him to concentrate on anything. _'Damn teachers, fucking scars, and if_ _those girls don't stop giggling over there I'm going to kill_ _someone!'_ A group of cheerleaders were sitting on the bleachers, giggling, gossiping, whispering, and all looking his way. _'Okay, I know I have a six-pack, and I know they can see it through my shirt, but pick on someone else already!'  
_  
"Ishtar, Wheeler, Johnson, Kaiba, your up!" Came the coach's voice. Malik sighed, he had hoped he wouldn't have to run, but he guessed they had everything planned out. Malik lined up next to Joey, who just glared at him. Kaiba was on Malik's other side, and a red-headed geek of a kid on Kaiba's other side. _'Maybe I could just run off all this_ _shit, and beat Joey at something, that will be good.'_ A large smirk spread across Malik's face, which did not go unnoticed by Joey.  
  
"Don't kid yourself," Joey spat. "I'm the fastest on the track team, and Kaiba's just too chicken to join the track team, other wise he'd be at the top." Kaiba scowled.  
  
"I run a company, mutt," Kaiba shot back in a low dangerous voice. "I don't have time for teams or anything, not that I would want to do so even if I had the time." Malik just shook his head, they had never seen him run before. And he had a lot of practice. Isis could get really scary when she's angry . . .  
  
############### **FLASHBACK** ################  
  
_A seven-year-old Malik smirked widely, the plan was just too perfect. He quietly crept into Isis' room, over to her dresser, where she kept all of her make up. "Wow, she sure has a lot of this stuff," Malik said in almost a whisper. "I wonder what she really looks like??" He wondered, trying to imagine what Isis looked like without any of that gunk on her face. A smile spread across his face, "guess I'll just have to find out for myself." He then stuffed everything on that desk into a brown sack and hid it in one of the cleaning store-rooms.  
  
But the next morning, was hell . . . in a good way.  
  
"MMMAAALLLIIIKKK!!!!!!!!!" Came Isis' screams from her room, Malik's eyes widened and he hid behind one of the pillars in the main hall. He heard Isis storm past him, he held his breath, waiting for her footsteps to die off. The seven-year-old let out a sigh of relief and looked to his left, making sure Isis didn't come back. Sighing again, he turned around and started to walk towards his right, when he came face to face with a very angered Isis. You could here him gulp, and start to shake under her gaze.  
  
"Where did you hide my make-up?" she demanded.  
  
"Why would I want to touch your stupid stuff," Malik said, growing some backbone, and brushing past his sister. Who didn't fall for his little act, and grabbed him by the shoulder.  
  
"I know you took it, tell me where it is- OUCH!" Malik stepped on her foot and took off down the hall way as fast as he could, which was fast. Isis was chasing after him, so in other wards, Malik was running for his very life.  
  
But Isis was never able to catch Malik, but Isis did get her stuff back.  
  
Malik ran behind Odion, who stopped Isis from strangling her little brother. "Will you two ever stop fighting?" Odion asked, letting out a sigh of frustration.  
  
"HE STOLE MY STUFF!" Isis shouted, Malik just stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
"why would I go into your room, I'd probably die from the horrible smell, do you ever clean that place," Malik mocked. Isis glared at him and charged at her little brother again. But was caught by Odion once again. Isis scowled, but then a smirk crawled up her face.  
  
"No matter, I have something as well," and took out one of Malik's many daggers (which he collected) and it happened to be his favorite, a 8" dagger with a golden plated handle. Malik's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"You went in MY room! Give it back Isis," he shouted and tried to swipe the dagger out of his sister's hands. She just raised it above her head and out of Malik's reach, leaving him jumping for it.  
  
"Then give me back my stuff! Where did you hide it?"  
  
"It's in the cleaning store-room down the hall now GIVE ME BACK MY DAGGER!!!"  
  
Isis dropped it and rushed for the chamber down the hallway. It was only a few minutes before you heard her scream, "THEY'RE ALL BROKEN! I'M GONNA KILL YOU MALIK!" And once again, Malik was running for his life.  
_  
########## **END FLASHBACK** ###############  
  
_'Good times,'_ Malik thought to himself. _'Wonder how mad Isis would get if I did that when she gets back. Except I could sell all the stuff she left here, then she would never get it back and I would make some more cash.'  
_  
A loud whistle sounded off, breaking Malik's train of thought, and he took off running._ 'Okay think . . . oh shit, I'm not mad anymore. Okay, how about I try to think about how mad Isis is going to be_ _when she finds out I got detention my first day.'_ Malik snickered, and kept running, at least he was faster than Joey, but Kaiba could run. Damn his long legs.  
  
After another few seconds, Malik was back in Egypt, running for his life from an angry Isis, oh yeah, that would get him to go faster. Malik found himself moving faster, and going neck-in-neck with Kaiba, who looked like he wasn't even trying to win. Malik scowled and tried to make himself move faster. _'Wait, it's working?'_ Kaiba looked over at Malik, surprised that anyone caught up with him.  
  
Now they had a race.  
  
Malik then realized if Kaiba actually did decide he wanted to win, Malik was going to be left in the dust, but there was only about 12 feet left in the race. _'Okay, think about Isis, what would get me_ _running?'_ He then tried to remember his sister's scream that says _'this is your warning you better start running._ **_"MMMAAALLLLIIIKKKK!!!!"_**  
  
Malik smirked widely as that extra burst of speed won him the race. He bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily. _'That was fun, sort of . . .'  
_  
Malik decided that he like P.E. better than any other subject.  
  
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Detention was boring, he slept the whole time, and Malik soon found himself waking towards the shop he dropped his bike off at. Malik now had his white shirt completely unbuttoned, showing off his dark-toned skin. He had his jewelry back on, and felt like he was on fire. It was as hot as Egypt in April, and that was pretty hot, but I guess you could say Malik was use to it, it was just a big change from this morning.  
  
'_The weather here is weird,'_ Malik thought to himself. '_It's brisk in the morning, then 8 hours later it feels like summer. I'm never going to get use to this.'  
_  
He passed many other groups of kids from his school, who were still whispering, he even caught a few things:  
  
"That him?"  
  
"Yeah, I heard he can read your mind!"  
  
"And control you too."  
  
"Isn't he like, crazy?"  
  
"He's psychotic, my sister's friend's cousin's mom saw him at the Domino Insane Asylum last Saturday, that's why he wasn't here last week for registration."  
  
"Yeah, I heard about that too, he made a really big scene and they had to keep the press from putting the story out on TV."  
  
The group quieted as Malik walked past, then started back up again as soon as they thought he was out of ear-shot. Malik stared at his feet, walking past all of the shops and other people. He swore he saw people staring at him as he walked past Burger World. Malik was at the corner of 123rd and rosewood, the shop was on 123rd. But on the corner was a shop he didn't really want to encounter either: The Kame Game Shop, Yugi's shop/home.  
  
He walked past the shop without looking in, turning the corner, and looking through the windows on the other side to see the gang inside, all laughing and looking like they were having a good time. The door was open so he could hear them . . .  
  
"And then he said-"  
  
"Wait isn't that Malik?" Yugi asked, interrupting Joey, who saw Malik go past, fortunately Malik was looking in.  
  
"That damn bastard makes me sick," Joey muttered.  
  
"What's he doing down here?" Tea asked.  
  
"Let's go find out," Ryou exclaimed, jumping up and heading out of the door before anyone could stop him. He had just gotten back in town that afternoon, that was why he wasn't in school.  
  
Malik entered the shop, ringing the bell on the counter, then walking past it. "Hey Jason! You in here?"  
  
"In the back," came a voice from the garage. Malik kept on walking to see a tall black haired man, about 23, working under the hood of an old Mustang Convertible. Malik dug into his pocket and stuffed the yen into the man's hand.  
  
"Keep the change, I'll just go."  
  
"What's eaten you," Jason asked, leaning up against the car.  
  
"Isis sent me to school," Malik muttered, throwing a leg over his motorcycle and starting up the engine.  
  
"Ah," was all Jason said, or all he could say before Malik drove his motorcycle out of the garage and almost over Ryou, but he stopped short, jerking him forward. Ryou just stood there, eyes wide, and probably scared stiff. After a moment, Malik was afraid that he had fainted standing up.  
  
"Sorry Ryou," he said. Ryou nodded, calming down a little. "This yours?" he asked, meaning the motorcycle. Malik nodded then looked up, waiting for a minute, but Ryou didn't move. _'Do I have to spell it out for him?'  
_  
"Um, could you . . . move?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," Ryou said quickly, blushing madly, he stepped out of the way. Malik drove on past, leaving Ryou in the door way of the garage.  
  
It was only when he was half-way back to his apartment that Malik realized Ryou was the only one to talk to him in a 'nice' way that day. Everyone else that had even bothered to speak to him usually said something that he could have done without.  
  
And this was Ryou who spoke to him. Ryou, the one person that should hate him the most, tried to talk to him, start a conversation. '_Damn, he was standing there because he thought I would say something. I just nodded, he was trying to talk to me!  
  
Why do I have to be so stupid when things finally start to go good for me?  
  
Why . . . '  
_  
########################################################################  
  
End Chapter one. Please review, and just to let you know, Marik doesn't come in until the third chapter, sorry.  
  
But anyway . . .  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!  
  
(and no flames) 


	2. Chapter 2

Angel: Yeah, people reviewed! XD Well, here is the second chapter. But first, time for some responses!  
  
Meiko: The highlight of her day.  
  
Seto: Literally.  
  
Angel: ignore my obnoxious yami and prisoner peoples. -.-  
  
**Maruken** – Well, maybe. If this was going to be a yaoi it would have been a Malik/Marik but I'll think about it. And Malik REALLY has no brains, you can tell in this chapter. You can also tell he has no guts. Oh, and about that story by Spyder Webb, I think, what's it's name? Spyder Webb has 51 stories, so, a little help?  
  
**Hershey-kiss** – The insane asylum? Well, I thought a mental institution would be a little minor for Malik. :D And I'm not funny, I'm sarcastic! XD Thankz for the compliments though.  
  
**Revlis** – I like the Goo Goo Dolls too! :D Though you can kind-of tell that already huh? XD Well, hope this makes ya happy too!  
  
**IcyPanther**- I'll try to add more of Seto at . . . some point. XD  
  
**Sailor Mini Venus** – Well, I try. :D I had so much fun writing the flashback! And yur right. School is evil! XP That's why I'm glad I don't have to go for another two months!  
  
**FeatherWings**- I've updated for ya! XD Keep reviewing please!!!  
  
Angel: Well, enough of that. Now on to disclaimers.  
  
Meiko: It's not my turn.  
  
Angel: It's never your turn.  
  
Meiko: That's not my job.  
  
Angel: Whatever. -.- Well, then you get to do it.  
  
Seto: Damn it all. Dark-Angel302 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh of the song I'm still here by the Goo Goo Dolls.  
  
Angel: See, that wasn't so bad.  
  
Seto: -.- Sure, I guess not.  
  
Angel: But this is! _types frantically on the keyboard and Seto ends up tied to a chair with is hands bound to the arms  
_  
Seto: SHIT! NOT AGAIN.  
  
Meiko: _eating popcorn_ Wow, twice in two days.  
  
Angel: _sits on Seto's lap since he can't do anything about it_ Well, enjoy the chapter. _starts to play with Seto's hair_  
  
---  
  
**_I'm still here  
_**  
**_Chapter 2  
_**  
**/And what do think you'd ever say?  
  
I won't listen anyway:  
  
You ignore me,  
  
And I'll never be what you want me to be/**

Malik leaned against the chain-link fence, the bell would ring in about 15 minutes, but Malik wasn't ready to go any where, let alone go through another day of torture. He closed his eyes, only to be met by a blasting throb in his head, when would this stupid headache go away. Malik sunk to the pavement, and sighed, closing his eyes again. _'Maybe going to sleep will help . . .'  
_  
"MALIK!" Came a distant voice, the blonde Egyptian looked up to see someone running towards him. It was Ryou. The white-haired teen stopped in front of Malik, breathing heavily and cheeks flushed from the bitter fall wind.  
  
"Hey," he breaths, smiling and sits down in front of Malik who just stares at him.  
  
"Hi," Malik says slowly. "Sorry, about yesterday."  
  
"It's okay," Ryou says, still smiling, and breathing heavily. "I'm the one who should be apologizing-"  
  
"No, I should have looked where I was going."  
  
"It's not about that," Ryou interrupted. "About yesterday, at school." Malik put on a confused look.  
  
"You weren't here yesterday, were you?"  
  
"No, I wasn't. I'm apologizing for the other guys," Ryou said quietly. "Joey still doesn't forgive Marik for sending Mai to the shadow realm, and he doesn't believe that you aren't him. Then Tristan, if something is bothering Joey, he's going to go against it. Tea, well, I don't really understand what her problem is, she has too many." He said with a smile, Malik smiled back. "And, I think Yugi just feels odd around you because, it really was you, before the Battle City finals so . . ." he trailed off, looking at the ground.  
  
"It's okay, I get it," Malik replied, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting to look at. "But, what about you?" Malik almost whispered. Ryou looked up at him, his doe-brown eyes looking confused. "I'm only worried about you Ryou," Malik said a little louder than before. "You know you were the only person yesterday that said something near nice to me?" A slight frown appeared on Ryou's face.  
  
"Well, I forgive you Malik, I have for a long time. What happened in the past, just . . . happened. We really can't do anything about it, so it's best to be left alone. What matters is what is happening now, not then."  
  
"You're too forgiving, you know that," Malik said, a small smile crawling up his face.  
  
"You have no idea how many times I hear that," Ryou sighed, falling backwards on to the pavement, staring up at the sky. There were a few moments of silence before Ryou said softly, "We're going to be late for homeroom."  
  
"Screw homeroom," Malik muttered. Ryou smiled a little, but it disappeared as a thought accrued to him. "What class are you in?"  
  
"B"  
  
Ryou sighed a little, "That's my class, and everyone's else's."  
  
"Don't remind me," Malik muttered, staring back at his feet. Ryou sat up, sitting cross-legged, a look of sympathy for the Egyptian on his face.  
  
"You really don't like them, do you?"  
  
"I would like them fine, they're the ones that seem to have a problem with me."  
  
"Well," Ryou was silent, thinking of a way to answer that. "They just need get to know you." After running his own words through his head, an idea came to Ryou's mind. "If they would just give you a chance, I bet they could forgive you. I know Yugi and Tea would easy." Malik thought that over, but there was something else.  
  
He had seen what good friends all of them were; Yugi seemed like someone you could always go to for help, Tea would always be your friend no matter what, Tristan was a good friend to have around, especially if Joey was around as well, and Ryou was just the finishing touch, someone who would always listen to you. The five were friends, but what would Malik do if he was added to their group? _'Nothing,'_ he thought to himself. _'I just wouldn't fit in. I'd screw everything up, maybe it's better if I just stayed by myself. And I probably couldn't get them to like me anyway.'  
_  
It was true, living underground for 12 years didn't really help his people skills. To tell the truth, Malik didn't know how to make friends.  
  
_'I would give anything to fit in . . .'_  
  
---  
  
The two made it to homeroom on time, mostly because Ryou dragged Malik there. Malik sat down in the back of the room, and wasn't surprised at all when Ryou went over to the other group. Sighing, he took out another book to read. But soon found himself looking up at the group, laughing, joking.  
  
Why couldn't he be like them?  
  
Why couldn't he have friends who would always be there for him?  
  
Malik remembered Battle City, and seeing through his darker-half's eyes. They would always be there for each other, almost considered each other as family. They were such good friends they would risk their lives for each other. That was true friendship.  
  
All he had was alliance. Bakura had helped him get his body back, but only because Malik had bribed him with the Millennium Rod. The two ended up fighting and arguing the whole time.  
  
But then there was Ryou.  
  
Malik came back from his deep thoughts to see Ryou laughing and joking with them. Did Ryou even consider him a friend? He said that he forgave him, but Ryou didn't like seeing people hurt, he might have said that just so Malik wouldn't feel bad.  
  
Right at that moment, Malik felt more alone than he had ever felt in his life.  
  
Tears stung his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. _'Stop being such a baby,'_ he tried to reassure himself._ 'You don't need anyone. You made it by yourself before, screw them if they didn't care. You're better off alone anyway.'_ Frowning at himself, Malik stuffed his book in his backpack and dug out his CD Player.  
  
Malik had an interest in American Music for some reason, mostly because it was fast and dealed with problems he was experiencing, or would make him feel better if he was down. He couldn't really explain it, he couldn't even think of a word for it, maybe there wasn't one. But every morning, Malik would grab a random CD and leave for school, he always ended up listening to it.  
  
Right now he wished he had Linkin Park or Evanescence.  
  
Strapping his headphones over his ears, he pressed play to find out he had grabbed Yellowcard. He skipped to number eight, listening to the steady rhythm.  
  
**_There's a place off Ocean Avenue  
  
Where I used to sit and talk with you  
  
We were both 16 and it felt so right  
  
Sleeping all day, staying up all night  
  
Staying up all night  
_**  
Malik closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair, not caring about anything, just losing himself in the music.  
  
**_There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street  
  
We would walk on the beach in our bare feet  
  
We were both 18 and it felt so right  
  
Sleeping all day, staying up all night  
  
Staying up all night_** **_  
  
If I could find you now things would get better  
  
We could leave this town and run forever  
  
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away  
_**  
He felt someone tapping his shoulder. Opening his eyes slightly to see Ryou standing next to him, and his stuff on the desk next to him. Lowering his earphones, still blasting music, though it was very hard to make out the words.  
  
"Sorry, I had to ask them something," Ryou said, sitting down next to Malik, who stared at him. Ryou was trying so hard to be his friend, but Malik just realized he was just making it more difficult. Forcing a smile, Malik turned off his CD Player.  
  
"Is this your assigned seat, or do you really want to sit by me," Malik asked.  
  
"Both," Ryou's smile never left his face. "I have some good news for you too!"  
  
"Oh, really," Malik said, sarcastically. "That's a first." Ryou pulled a face on him, making Malik laugh.  
  
Wait, he just laughed.  
  
For the first time in days . . .  
  
Oh well, about time.  
  
"Well, I just talked to them, and they agreed to let you sit with us at lunch." Malik raised his eyebrows at Ryou's words. 'They're letting me sit with them.'  
  
"How much did you pay them?" Malik teased. Ryou rolled his eyes.  
  
"Joey asked for $10."  
  
"He did!"  
  
Ryou burst out laughing, "No, but I owe him a math lesson." Malik had to laugh at that.  
  
But he had a feeling that the others didn't really want him around at all, and were only doing it for Ryou. If one thing went wrong, Malik could just forget about becoming friends with them.  
  
That was the thought he stressed over all morning.  
  
---  
  
It was lunch, Malik had gotten there early, and finally decided he couldn't go through with it. _'Joey and Tristan are going stare me down the whole time, and what if I say something wrong! What if they get mad at me!'_ He thought hysterically. _'But Ryou wants me to, if I don't do it will that get him mad at me?'_ He sighed.  
  
_'What am I supposed to do?'_  
  
"Hey Malik!" Ryou yelled, coming up behind him. '_crap, no chance turning back now.'_ Malik put on a fake smile as Ryou approached. "We have to find a table, then I'll go find everyone." Malik nodded, not speaking at all.  
  
The two picked a spot by a tall Sakura Tree, and I mean right next to it. It was like the table was built into it. Malik sat down on the bench, and leaned up against the tree at the same time, his feet on the bench as well.  
  
"I'll go and get them," Ryou said quickly before darting off, not waiting for an answer. Malik sat there for a moment, watching everyone else around him, eating their lunches and talking with their friends. Malik didn't have a lunch, he would have got one, but he didn't think he could keep it down. Malik was stressing enough over this.  
  
This was his one chance to set things right, his one chance to make friends, to belong. His one desire. _'But,'_ he realized, _'this is also my one chance to escape since no one is here to stop me.'_ But there seemed to be something stopping him from getting up and heading back inside. So he sat there, deep in thought, and stressing so much he could barley hear himself think.  
  
Five minutes past, and Malik couldn't stand it any longer. He didn't know what would happen, but he would either explode or . . . . something else. **HE COULDN'T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT!!!**  
  
Trying to find something that would get his mind he dug back into his backpack to find his CD Player and started to listen to it:  
  
**_There's a piece of you that's here with me  
  
It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see  
  
When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by  
  
I can make believe that you're here tonight  
  
That you're here tonight_**

**_  
  
If I could find you now things would get better  
  
We could leave this town and run forever  
  
I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together  
  
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away_**  
  
Malik was really starting to get into the song when, once again, he was tapped on the shoulder by none other than Ryou. Only he had the others with him, and Malik automatically froze. Tea sat by Yugi who was across from Malik, and Ryou took a seat next to Malik. But Malik could feel Joey and Tristan's glares even though he didn't dare look up at them.  
  
The Egyptian moved his feet to the ground under the table and turned off his CD player, sliding the headphones off as well. _'Okay, this is it. Don't mess it up Malik.'_ The four boys were eating while Tea was looking up at the Sakura Blossoms in the tree, leaving Malik in his nerve-wrecking silence.  
  
"We should sit here more often," Tea said out of the blue. "The tree is beautiful." Ryou and Yugi nodded, their mouths seemingly full with food. Yugi swallowed hard and looked up at Malik, who was also looking up in the tree.  
  
"Where's your lunch Malik?" he asked. The lavender-eyed boy looked away from the tree. He had hoped they would act like they always would and ignore him. He didn't think he could speak; it was kind-of heard when you don't trust your own words.  
  
"I'm not really hungry," he managed to force himself to say before staring at the wooden table-top.  
  
"Yugi's right, you really should eat something Malik," Ryou said worriedly. Malik looked up at him, his eyes pleading him to not make him do anything other than sit there at the moment. He couldn't move, let alone eat. For one thing, he didn't think he could keep anything down right now. Even speaking seemed dangerous.  
  
Ryou suddenly felt a pain of guilt, Malik was taking this really bad; why was it so hard for him? He was only trying to help Malik, but the Egyptian was sitting there like he couldn't trust himself to do anything. Ryou decided to leave him alone, maybe the others wouldn't talk to him.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"So, uh . . . Malik?" Yugi asked, the silence was getting to him. "What do you do after school now?" Malik gulped, he meant now that the Rare Hunters were discontinued. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't get his words to come out, his voice was frozen, out of fear he supposed. He swallowed again, hoping to build up the courage to say something. One word, that was all he needed.  
  
"Work."  
  
_'Good going Einstein. You got to say one word, and one that practically screams **ask me more ask me more!!!**'_  
  
"Really," Yugi said, trying to end the conversation. Malik seemed really uncomfortable around them, and Yugi couldn't really blame him. Joey and Tristan weren't really trying to make peace or anything here.  
  
"Where," came an unexpected voice. Malik's head shot up to look at Tristan, who just stared at him in return. _'Come on Malik, stop being a baby and talk to them! It's not that hard!!!'  
_  
"An Auto Shop," Malik said, sitting up a little and talking louder than his previous mumbles.  
  
"Oh, the one right next to our Game Shop," Yugi added.  
  
"Well, I didn't know you owned that Game Shop Yugi," Malik continued. "I usually come from the other way."  
  
"But the school is from da other way," Joey said, speaking up for the first time since he sat down."  
  
"Well, I kind-of have to go home and change." He added in a teasing tone. Malik froze after he uttered those words. He could have killed himself right then and there. _'Somebody shoot me, please,'_ he thought desperately. If only his Rod would let him disappear instead of control peoples minds, that would come in handy so much more. _'No sarcasm, now they think I think that they're stupid. BAD MALIK!!! **BAD!!!'**_ Malik sunk a little in his seat, embarrassment and regret nagging him in the back of his mind, not to mention stupidity.  
  
"Well, yeah," Yugi said, breaking the silence once again. "You can't really work in your school clothes, right Tristan?" Yugi looked over at the tallest of the boys, who nodded, his eyes not lifting off of Malik.  
  
It was like he was being kept under close watch, like he would explode at any moment. Tristan didn't trust him, no one at that table did, maybe Ryou, but he would be the only one. _'Hell my own family doesn't trust me. Isis was about to drag me back to Egypt with her!'_ Malik looked around at his current situation. _'Actually that wouldn't be a bad idea.'  
_  
"Well, you weren't there yesterday for more than a few minutes," Tea pointed out. Malik felt like strangling her. Why was it that everyone was insisting on him talking. Or were they trying to break his nerves, this was driving him insane!!! _'Well, at least the rumors would be true.'  
_  
"I'm off work this week," Malik muttered. Hoping to God that the bell would ring soon, he didn't dare look up at the clock; Tristan was still watching him. It was like a surveillance camera, and Malik felt like if he did one thing wrong he was going to get jumped.  
  
"Oh, well, then you wouldn't mind meeting us at the arcade?" Yugi asked. Malik looked up, blinking a couple of times. The arcade, the wanted to go do something with him? Hope swelled up inside of Malik, but it popped as soon as he looked at everyone else. The other three were staring at Yugi like he had grown another head. Ryou just stared at Yugi, but a smile was playing with his lips.  
  
But Malik could tell the others didn't want him at the arcade with them, and now everyone was staring at him, waiting for an answer. _'Wait, if I go, that means another whole afternoon being watched for one slight hint of insanity and then get the shit kicked out of me. And we'd be out of school so there was less of a risk of getting in trouble if someone did that to me. I would love to go, but if they are acting like this I'd rather be run over by a school bus. But I can't say no, then I can kiss my chances of ever getting friends good-bye. But- oh – uh – SHIT! What do I do?'  
_  
Malik opened his mouth to answer, but shut it tightly, not knowing what he was doing. They were all still staring at him, he was going to crack, he just knew it. Any minute now. "Uh . . ."  
  
"He can't," Ryou answered quickly for him. Malik looked over at Ryou with everyone else. "We're going to the movies this afternoon, so sorry." Malik nodded in agreement when everyone looked over at him.  
  
"Maybe next time then?" Yugi offered.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," that was all Malik could manage to say. Before he looked up, seeing that there was another fifteen minutes left of lunch. Malik's eyes widened. _'No, no way, no way in hell am I sitting here for that long.'  
_  
"Uh, Ryou, could I t-talk to you," Malik managed, but only because he looked at Ryou and no one else.  
  
"Sure," Ryou said uneasily and got up with Malik, but seemed to be the only one to notice that Malik picked up his stuff when they left. Malik stood by the side of the building before turning around to face Ryou.  
  
"I can't do this," his voice and tone showing how desperate he had been to get away from them.  
  
"What are you talking about, you were doing f-fine." Fine wasn't really the word, but he was still in one piece.  
  
"Who are you kidding Ryou, I was about to blow. I can't stand being over there." Malik looked close to tears and his voice was straining. "They don't like me, I know that. And I know you don't like that, I don't either, but nothing is going to change their minds. It's just too hard for me, too nerve-wrecking. But I appreciate this, a lot, you've been my only real friend, ever." Malik paused, his voice returning to normal.  
  
Ryou smiled a little at the last part. "Well, I consider you a friend, don't forget that." Malik nodded, then got an odd look on his face.  
  
"You didn't really mean it when you said we were going to the movies, did you?"  
  
"Uh, no."  
  
"Okay, good," Malik sighed. "I have to help Odion finish packing up the museum this afternoon, and I really didn't want to turn you down too."  
  
"That's okay, I have to do something too," Ryou replied. Malik nodded, and the bell rang suddenly through the school grounds. "I'll see you later okay?"  
  
"All right," Malik then turned around to leave but Ryou stopped him once more.  
  
"Are you going to be alright?"  
  
Malik paused for a moment before he nodded, "Yeah." He smiled at the white- haired teen who nodded as well and left to get his stuff back at the table. Malik couldn't help but smile then, even after the nerve-wrecking near insanity experience he had just been in.  
  
For the first time in his entire life, he felt like someone cared about him, and meant it.  
  
---  
  
End of Chapter 2.  
  
And that sucked! I know it, tell me, come on, tell me it sucked.  
  
Meiko: It sucked.  
  
Angel: Oh, what do you know! _hits Meiko with large mallet_  
  
Meiko: XP  
  
Angel: But she was right, that sucked. Review please.  
  
**_THEN YOU'LL GET A BIG BASKET OF COOKIES AND A SETO PLUSHIE!!!  
_**  
Seto: They'll get what.  
  
Angel: Oh stop, you have fans, make them happy.  
  
Seto: I would if you would **GET OFF OF ME!!!**  
  
Angel: No you wouldn't.  
  
Seto: Really?  
  
Angel: yeah, I've completely messed up your hair! XD Oh, and people, Marik will be here next chapter! Now, where was I? Oh yeah! _continues playing with Seto's hair_  
  
Seto: Help me, please!?!  
  
---  
  
_Angel_  
  
Dark-Angel302


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the song 'I'm still here' by the Goo Goo dolls 

-

**_/blah blah blah/ _**Marik's thoughts

'_Blah blah blah' _Malik's thoughts

"Blah blah blah" regular speech

-

_**I'm still here**_

_Chapter 3_

**/And what do you think you'd understand**

**I'm a boy, no I'm a man**

**You can't take me and throw me away/**

Malik sped through the streets of Domino, on his way to the Domino City Museum. He wasn't lying when he said that he was helping Odion pack up the exhibit that afternoon. Running up the stone steps Malik nearly tripped over one out of a hundred cardboard boxes that littered the museum as he burst through the door. Most were unopened, some of the closed boxes were stacked in the empty corners; and that weird paper used for packaging delicate and breakable things laid carelessly all over the floor. Malik smirked to himself as he picked his way through the maze, Odion was never very good with organization.

Why Isis left Odion to pack up the museum was beyond Malik. Most of the artifacts would probably come back in pieces. Either that or dust. He could just picture it:

_**/ "Odion? Where is that old vase with the inscriptions of the pharaoh's palace?" She would ask. **_

"_**Um, I think it broke." **_

"_**Well, maybe we could fix it."**_

"_**I don't think so."**_

"_**Just go get it!" Odion would come back with a box and dump it upside down and powder would fall out.**_

"_**Don't sneeze." /**_

Malik laughed to himself and started to search the museum for his step-brother. He found the 27 year old Egyptian carrying already loaded boxes to a large truck where everything would be stores until he got to the airport tomorrow morning. Malik noticed there weren't that many boxes ready to go, so there was only one explanation.

"Stalling Odion?" Malik asked, his smile never leaving his face. Startled, Odion nearly dropped the box he was holding.

"No, of course not," Odion answered, but Malik could hear the uneasiness in his voice, making him smile even more.

"Where should I start, this is going to take a while."

-

It was about 10:30 and the museum was almost empty, just a few more things had to be done, then Malik and Odion could go home. Unfortunately, they hadn't stopped working since Malik had gotten there about seven hours ago, so Malik still had a mound of homework to get done before tomorrow.

Taping together his final box, Malik slid it along the polished floor to Odion's feet. "That's the last of them," Malik told him, stifling a yawn. Standing up, Malik stretched; he had done _all_ of the packing. Grabbing his keys he said quickly, "I got to get home, or I'll never finish all my homework."

"Lock up on the way out, I'm going out the back," Odion called after him, Malik just waved his comment off, heading for the museum doors. "I mean it Malik!" Odion called, he still didn't get an answer. "MALIK!"

"I HEARD YOU!" Slamming the door shut, Malik locked it swiftly. "There. Happy?" He muttered to no one, and stormed down the steps, Odion could be just as bad as Isis sometimes. And Isis never stopped picking at him, correcting everything he did and always blaming him for everything wrong that happened. _'She's probably not going to like how I packed everything either,'_ Malik thought bitterly. Climbing on to his motorcycle, he sped down the street at three times the speed limit. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT ISIS?" Malik shouted, his voice lost in the wind. She always got on him about all the speeding tickets he got too, and made him pay for them!

Now in a very bad mood, Malik turned on to the near empty street and sped downtown, towards home. And towards hell. _'I'm not going to be sleeping tonight,'_ Malik sighed. A few minutes later Malik pulled up into the drive way of their small house. Soon to be _his _small house since no one else would be living there besides him starting tomorrow. Walking up to the door, Malik looked around the street; no other lights were on, everyone else was asleep, not a worry on their mind. Sighing, Malik entered the dark house.

Shutting the door, Malik kicked off his shoes and started up the stairs in front of the door, not bothering to turn on a light. He headed straight for his room, throwing his keys on his desk and turning on the light. His room was just as messy as he had left it that morning at the ungodly hour of 7:20, on weekends he usually wasn't up till noon. Malik changed from his horrid school uniform to some pajama bottoms and collapsed on his bed. He _so_ wanted to go to sleep right then and there, but he had homework still, homework he didn't give a _shit_ about.

Sitting up, bare-chested and sleepy, he grabbed his backpack and shook it out onto his bed. He picked up his social studies book, he was supposed to read chapters 1-4 for a test in a day or two, he couldn't remember when, it wasn't tomorrow though. 'Then screw this!' he threw it back into his backpack and started in on his math.

The clock seemed to tick by, time flying by; he could almost he the **_whooshing _**sound it made as it flew out his window. Soon it was 3:30 and he still had a science paper to work on. And now of all times his head started to hurt again. Dropping his science book, he got up to go take an aspirin or something, he couldn't think with this _migraine. _About to walk out, Malik noticed something lying on his desk next to his keys. It was the Millennium Rod, how'd it get there?

'_I **thought** I gave it to Yugi,_' Malik said to himself. _'But then again I do remember stuffing it in a shoe box full of marbles and burying it at the top of my closet.'_ Confused and a little scared Malik reached out to pick it up and hide it again, when he hesitated, his hand hovering inches over the rod, it suddenly got really warm. _'No, it can't be.'_ Taking his hand back to warmth faded. Malik stared at the rod, it's gleaming golden exterior shining in the light from his desk lamp, looking as innocent as day.

'_I have to get rid of it,'_ Malik thought. Slowly he reached out, his hand getting warmer as it came closer and closer to the Rod, till he touched it. His head burst with pain, and the rod glowed brightly, blinding his vision. Malik's free hand protected his eyes from the light generating off the rod, but his other hand couldn't let go, his head pounded; heart thumping in his ears. He felt like his head was splitting in two.

Then it stopped.

The light faded, and the pain dulled, but he could still hear his heart pound in his ears. He dropped the rod before falling to his knees, nothing changed. His head felt stuffed, full; it felt . . . good though. Malik stared at the rod, silent.

**_/It's pretty isn't it/_** Malik nearly jumped out of his skin as the familiar voice sounded through his head. _'No, not again.'_

**_/Scared/_** Malik was shaking his head, no, not now, not when he was around the others more than usual. And not here, when he was alone, in the dark, with _him_. _'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!'_ Malik shouted to the other, he could feel him wince.

**_/Not so loud, it hurts./_** Malik was panicking, what was he supposed to do now. Well, he felt like either shooting himself or crawling in a hole under the floor. **_/None of those sound very successful./_** The other pointed out.

**_/You're the one who brought me back anyway, and you can stop panicking, I can't do anything. Except talk to you./_** He stated. Malik slightly relaxed, the voice did sound distant. _'Wait, if all he can do is talk, maybe I can block him out.' _

**_/Wait, don't/_** Too late. Malik put up a mental wall and the voice disappeared, yet he could still feel his presence. _'What am I supposed to do, I couldn't get him away without Yami Yugi's help.'_ Tears stung behind his eyes, no this can't happen again. Not again! No one was going to help him this time; not Yugi, not his sister, not Odion. No one.

Wait, he could ask Ryou to help! Maybe Ryou would persuade Yugi to help him get rid of Marik. Yeah, good plan.

Malik scrambled up from the floor and over to his phone. With shaking fingers he dialed up Ryou's number, he needed someone over there. Now! He couldn't stand being alone with him, too much could happen.

-

_**Damn it all.**_

Marik sat down in the darkness and . . . pouted basically. What was he supposed to do now! After giving up on pouting he started to grow bored, twirling his strands of pale blonde hair between his fingers. He sighed deeply, **_I haven't been this bored since… since…_**

Marik blinked.

_**. . . since . . . **_

he was getting a total blank.

_**Well, I wish I was still in that . . . one place . . . where I . . . uh . . . **_

yet another blank.

Blink.

_**Or the time I . . . **_

_**. . uh . . **_

The blonde Egyptian let out a frustrated groan and held his head in his hands. Why couldn't he remember anything! **_Ok, the last thing I remember was . . . Malik bringing me out of the . . . dark place. Yeah. But before that I . . . I . . . I . . . RA DAMNIT!_** He pulled on his hair in frustration.

"WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER!"

-

_**/WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER/ **_

Malik jumped, Marik was breaking through, and Ryou wasn't picking up. He sat with his back to the wall, hugging his knees to his chest, biting back tears. He was scared, no he was way beyond scared. He couldn't stop shaking, things just seemed to keep getting worse and worse for him.

He had had a normal life for no more than 2 months and now he was back to square one! He continued to call Ryou, redialing his number but it was to no avail. He had already left about 5 messages, no one could possibly sleep through that! He had to keep trying. But after the 22nd time he dropped the phone, still shaking. '_This can't be happening,'_ he thought to himself, '_it's a nightmare, it just has to be!_ _When I wake up everything will be fine.' _But he knew he was only lying to himself. He didn't cry, no; he hadn't cried since he was 10. But he was pretty damn close.

Malik buried his face in his knees, waiting for himself to wake up. Jumbled thoughts and emotions tumbling through his head. He wanted Isis, he wanted to see Odion, he wanted to go home. He thought this was his home now, but it wasn't at the moment. It was a prison, locking him up with the one person he hated and despised and feared most. Malik shuddered to himself, he could still feel him, inside his head. Even with the mental block up.

He wanted him out, Malik couldn't stand the feeling of that…. thing in his mind! He would have to see Yami Yugi, the pharaoh was the only person that could free the blonde Egyptian, but Malik didn't think he could do it without Ryou there.

He looked up at his clock, 5:41. The sun would be fully up soon, he would have to go to Yami Yugi himself. It wasn't like Malik was scared of the pharaoh or anything; well, not him personally.

Malik was just scared he wouldn't help him.

_**TBC…**_

-

Oh, so short. And I feel like I rushed it.

Everyone:long gone:

Angel: They all left me:tear: That's what I get for not updating when I was supposed to…

Well, thankx to all of my wonderful and patient reviewers!

**_Rapturous Voice_**

**_HANDHELD Uber Rei Model 05_**

**_Inu-Ice-Dragon _:blushes madly:** I'm not that good a writer…

**_Sailor Mini Venus_**

**_Amarin Rose_ :laughs uncontroably:** Seto in a cheerleader outfit, that's priceless! XD

**_Sugar-Kat_**

**_IcyPanther_**

**_FeatherWings_**

**_Chibi B_**

**_Somnia Lustre_**

**_Firemoon_**

**_Maruken_** – How I play with Seto's hair? Well, it's not that short, but his bangs are the easiest to play with! D Either that, or I play with it till the point that I mess it up completely…

**_Kasbaka_**

**_hershey-kiss_**

Wow, thankx to all for such nice compliments. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! XD I'm not that good a writer. And I would like to thank peoples for the constructive criticism, like a lot of peoples said that I made Malik a little OOC last chapter. Well, I have to admit I did, he's gonna kind-of be like that throughout the story, I'll try to change it a little though…

Thankx again to all my fans! (wow, 'my fans' o.O there's two words I never thought I'd say in a row)

Review please, and I'll try to update faster next time, school has just been hell…

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**_12LBS. CHOCOLATE CANDY BARS AND MARIK PLUSHIES TO ALL WHO REVIEW!_**

(and no flames please)


End file.
